Re:What scientific concept would improve everybody's cogniti...
by CWuestefeld on Monday January 24, 2011 @04:14PM
(#2136781)
It's not objective, it requires subjective values.
The argument is (generally) made that climate is changing; this will change various peoples' lives in various ways, and therefore must be avoided at all costs.
One rarely if ever sees a consideration of positive outcomes from climate change (and there certainly are some). We need to understand the pros AND cons. And then we need to use our own subjective values to consolidate them into a bottom line.
THEN, we need to understand what needs to be done to avert these eventualities, and what the costs of those efforts will be.
FINALLY, we can compare the costs with the benefits. But because the calculation necessarily included our subjective values of the different factors, it's not falsifiable.
The argument is (generally) made that climate is changing; this will change various peoples' lives in various ways, and therefore must be avoided at all costs.
One rarely if ever sees a consideration of positive outcomes from climate change (and there certainly are some). We need to understand the pros AND cons. And then we need to use our own subjective values to consolidate them into a bottom line.
THEN, we need to understand what needs to be done to avert these eventualities, and what the costs of those efforts will be.
FINALLY, we can compare the costs with the benefits. But because the calculation necessarily included our subjective values of the different factors, it's not falsifiable.